Page 34 of Own to Obey

“So did you get one?” a tribeswoman asked, her voice hushed.

The silence in the hall was so complete that the roaring whipping wind and rain outside the ship could be heard.

“Yes.”

The hall erupted into chatter and noise, smiles and laughter and a few cheers rising.

“Where is she, when can we meet her,” another tribeswoman asked, grinning so hard she looked almost giddy.

“Some of you already met her last night,” Kardos said ruefully.

Gasps and shouts of shock burst around him followed by laughter, and Kardos was glad to see the look of understanding in the eyes around him. But, as expected, some still had questions.

“My shinno, you did not tell us that you had obtained an Omega,” one tribesman countered from further back on the left. “You are not known for keeping information from us. It is cause for concern for me. Will this be something you will do from now on?”

“I understand,” Kardos said. “But this is an Omega we speak of. She must be cared for and protected, even from the majority of the tribe. It is my responsibility to get her back to our Isles in one piece, and if that means keeping that from you for a few weeks, my brother, then for the sake of our whole Lands, that is what I must do.”

The tribesmen and women around him nodded in agreement, and the tribesman who asked the question inclined his head in thanks.

“If she is supposed to be protected, why was she roaming the ship last night during our celebrations?” Another question came. “My shinno, I mean no disrespect to question your behavior, but you attacked some of us and we didn’t even know she was an Omega.”

Kardos couldn't see the face of the speaker, but he guessed it was Bakra, one of the Alphas who he had attacked last night for touching Shaya. He felt absolutely no remorse for the man, it was the second time he had approached her after being told to leave her alone. But his question was reasonable. “I am of the opinion that you all know who is in this tribe and who is not,” he said. “The Omega has had very limited interaction with the tribe since being on board. Many of you saw the Omega yesterday, and instead of alerting me or Zolt or any one of the generals, you engaged with her as if she were a member of the tribe. That is worrying. What if she had been a stowaway from the Western Lands, looking to come to our Lands to corrupt our way of life?”

The silence had returned to the hall, this time an uncomfortable one.

“I do not blame you that you wanted to enjoy yourself last night, you have all worked hard, but my actions were based on protecting the Omega that is going to change everything for us, and the realization that some of you danced with her, some of you propositioned her, and some of you touched her,” he said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “I trust you understand the relevance of that and that I have to report everything to the high chief.”

He was pleased to see his tribe nodding, thoughtful looks on their faces as they glanced around at each other, sheepish and bashful.

“We have nearly two more weeks to go,” he called out. “And then we shall arrive back to our homelands with a treasure that no other tribe has been able to obtain. Enjoy this last day of rest and prepare to be praised for the return of an Omega to the Southern Isles, my brothers and sisters!”

The cheer was deafening, and Kardos grinned at the rest of his tribe at the energy and sheer delight that buzzed around the room.

As he left, Zolt nodded at him in approval, looking as though a weight had been lifted from his chest.

On his way back to his cabin, he stopped by to see Rozalia and to collect more of the potion that would dull Shaya’s blocks. If she couldn't get pregnant, there was no reason for him to stop indulging in her or letting her experience her Haze more often.

Rozalia, of course, was suspicious of the idea, and refused to give him any more potion, warning him that she did not know the long-term effects if he used it too frequently, then requested to see the Omega before he used any more.

He was annoyed at her logic, but consented, dragging her to see Shaya to ensure that she was well. After giving her a look over, Rozalia only gave him two more doses of the potion and told him to use them wisely, for what was the use of getting hooked on something that he would never be able to have again.

Kardos almost cursed her to her face when she said that, but in his heart he knew she was right. He had to enjoy Shaya now while he could, because once they landed, that was all he would ever have.

CHAPTER EIGHT

SHAYA

For the first time, Shaya felt content on the ship.

She was almost ashamed to admit to herself that it was because of Kardos. She became almost drunk on him whenever he took her to bed, wringing out the most savage, overwhelming, body-shattering peaks of pleasure from her that she would never have thought possible. But it wasn't just about sex, he looked at her with the same hunger in his eyes that he always had, and when he was pounding inside her, gutturally telling her how beautiful, and tight, and perfect she was, she instinctively knew that he had wanted to do this to her all along.

He fucked her in any and all ways he possibly could, moving her into position without care or questions. Shaya was shocked at how different his cock felt in different positions, and yet always amazing. And even when he was buried deep inside her, it was as though he couldn't keep his hands off any part of her body. He caressed and tweaked her nipples and grabbed her breasts, squeezed and slapped her ass, and ran his hand over her skin, muttering, “Zeelefdyrn.”Incredible.

She wasn't sure why there were times when his scent was stronger than others, though it seemed to be only two distinct times. It was as though her body suddenly recognized that he was an Alpha, and couldn’t help to do all the things it was supposed to do for him, rejoicing when he touched her, wailing in satisfaction when he reached for her, and shuddering in contentment when he knotted her. It still happened when his scent wasn’t as strong, but it felt less intense.

Shaya began to wonder why Kyus had kept her hidden from this all along. It was understandable that Omegas be afraid of the Alphas who treated them badly, but is this what it meant to be treated badly? There was nothing that happened between them that did not feel as though it was supposed to happen. He still took her to the ocean daily, and they sat in silence and watched it, the shinno stroking her body, although not bringing her to orgasm this time. She was usually already too exhausted, so they just enjoyed the time together.

However, he wasn’t able to stay with her all the hours of the day. He had work to do, and fortunately that meant that she had time to recover. She wasn't sure what she would do if he was demanding that attention from her constantly. The first time they had sex, she had been sore, but that didn't stop him from taking her again and again, until the soreness was simply something that accompanied the pleasure. Each morning, before he left, she groomed him, the way she was taught, and dressed him before making thefevvolitea. He kissed her thoroughly, squeezing her breast, and sometimes suckling her nipple before leaving, and she had to ensure she cooled down before Treska arrived to continue her teaching.

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